Two Sides of the Same Coin
by Dawn Bently
Summary: The story of all seven years at Hogwarts for Rose, Albus, and Scorpius, covering the romance between Scorpius and Rose, Albus' friendship and Lily's schoolgirl crush.
1. Chapter 1

**I originally intended this to be a one-shot, but then it came out much longer than I thought it would be.**

**Please Review!**

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He was perfect the first time she saw him. Not a single hair out of place, his clothes falling perfectly from his body. His pale skin was smooth, and his eyes were shallow grey orbs that held no emotion. He seemed completely unobtainable. He had been standing on the other side of the platform between his parents, both of whom appeared cold as well. They were a family, but not an emotional one. Nothing like the family behind her. Her mother hand pulled her into a hug, and she turned away from the blonde boy. She didn't see him after that, but she hadn't forgotten all about him. All she knew were the tears down her mother's cheeks, and her father's advice concerning Quidditch. Not a single thought about that perfect blonde boy was in her mind as Rose Weasley turned to her cousin, her best friend, and together they counted the steps away from the warmth of their family and towards their new school, Hogwarts.

Scorpius Malfoy was his name. She learned it when he was sorted in Slytherin, though she doubted whether or not that was his choice. The Sorting Hat sat for a while upon his head as though debating which of the four houses the boy should enter. After she read Hogwarts, A History, she knew the Hat often debated with the students between the house they wanted and the house their nature belonged in. Her uncle, Harry, of course, had personal experience with that matter but he had never said much other than the Hat took preferences into consideration. She quickly forgot about Scorpius Malfoy once she was sorted into Gryffindor and took her seat beside Albus and James. Only a few more years before Lily and Hugo joined them, and soon the five would never be separated.

He came into her thoughts once more when she walked into her Potions class, finding only one seat available. It was the seat beside the flawless blonde boy. With a smile, she approached the table and sat beside him, expecting at least polite small talk, but he ignored her except for the few times their interaction was crucial for the outcome of their potion. Though she did not like the way Scorpius Malfoy conducted himself, she tried not to let him bother her. It was only one class, and she would soon run out to find Albus, and the two would talk and find their friends. Scorpius Malfoy would be forgotten once more, until Potions the very next day.

During their free time, Albus and Rose would sit by the lake. It was a quiet place where the two could simply talk. Occasionally, Rose would see Scorpius Malfoy seated beneath the shade of a tree nearby, sometimes reading, other times just staring out at the dark depths of the lake. "He's a bit of a loner." Albus had commented when he caught Rose's gaze lingering on Scorpius.

"What makes you think that?"

"He's got no friends."

"He has friends, Albus." Rose replied as she turned to him but the boy only shrugged. Before he could respond, James had flown into their view then floated a few feet off the ground as he looked down at them.

"You won't believe what just happened!"

"You didn't prank somebody, did you?" Rose sighed heavily, and judging from the widespread grin across James' face, she didn't need his answer to confirm her doubts. "You're going to get so much detention this year." She warned as she stared up at her cousin, who rose an eyebrow down at her.

"Just this year?" Albus commented and the three broke into laughter, not one noticing Scorpius Malfoy only twenty yards away. He could not imagine anything odder than the three laughing at the lake side, completely unaware of their surroundings. It was as though they had simply slipped into some other world only they were allowed entrance. The Professors angrily storming in their direction went as unnoticed as the wind picking up the stray pieces of parchment from Albus' bag and carrying them towards the still waters of the lake. It wasn't until the Professors finally did reach the three did they finally seem to rejoin the reality everyone else was a part of, but even then, the conducted themselves as though very little mattered beyond them.

A few weeks had passed before Scorpius and Albus engaged in conversation, but to any third party, their conversation appeared as odd as James, Rose, and Albus appeared to Scorpius. Albus was absolutely carefree, his hair a mess atop his head, his shirt untucked, and unbuttoned at the top. His tie was nowhere to be found, but that was because he simply gave up on learning how to tie it after James had undid the knot he'd hoped would last the duration of the school year. Scorpius, however, was neat and perfectly in order. His blonde hair was slicked back, his shirt straight and wrinkle free. His robes falling perfectly around his shoulders. Nothing was out of place on the Slytherin boy, and it appeared as though Albus had nothing out of place either for the disheveled look he wore was what he aimed to have.

"I used to have that broom." Scorpius' voice was overly confident, but Albus didn't care one way or the other. "But my father bought me a new one for the school year."

Albus peered up from his broom and looked at Scorpius Malfoy, one eyebrow noticeably higher than the other. "You ride a broom?" He asked skeptically, then watched as Scorpius' face twisted in defense then in anger.

"Yes." He answered sharply.

Albus laughed as he held out his broom to Scorpius. "Well, alright. You look as though the wind might mess up your hair. But give it a go. Let's see you fly then."

Scorpius stared at Albus, dumbfounded by the words. It amazed him. Albus' carefree nature, come what may attitude was a harsh contrast to his over bearing mother. Though his father was a bit more relaxed, he did have his moments, but nothing compared to the Potter boy simply handing over a rather expensive broom to somebody he hardly knew, let alone trusted.

Then he smiled. A real smile, not the smirk that usually appeared without him noticing. His shoulders dropped and he reached out for the broomstick. He liked the overwhelming feeling Albus radiated. It was one of calm relaxation. A feeling where it ceased to matter what blood status one might be of, let alone the many other worries Scorpius had been taught during his childhood. It took a few more casual meetings with Albus, then with Rose, but eventually Scorpius started to understand how they viewed the world around them.

Though the three had little in common, they were all children of war heroes, but that meant radically different things to Scorpius than to Rose or Albus. And even to James who slowly started to accept Scorpius as easily as his younger brother had. They had been raised knowing the world was a much safer place, and after the threat of war their parents had faced, a silly Transfiguration or Potions Exam meant very, very little. Though they wanted their children to succeed, not one would wish the hardships or difficulties they faced on their children.

To Scorpius, it was something to live up to. As though he had to prove himself as a Malfoy. It was not the attitude carried by the Weasley girl or the Potter boys, for they were perfectly content to be simply James, Rose, and Albus. Scorpius, however, was determined to be a Malfoy.

As their second year of Hogwarts came, very little changed. Albus and Rose's families had not been expecting to hear of their friendship with Scorpius, but the news was not surprising. With James and Albus together, it was hard not to like the two. And where ever they were, Rose was not too far behind. The Malfoys had nothing to say on the matter, but that had been because Scorpius never told them about the company he kept while at Hogwarts. Not only were they Potters and Weasleys, they were three Gryffindors. He was a Slytherin, but a Slytherin by choice. The fact that the Sorting Hat wanted to put him in Gryffindor had been kept secret as well.

The only thing that made their second year any different from the first was James' frequent trips to Hogsmead. As a third year, he left fairly often, leaving Albus, Scorpius, and Rose to themselves. Though his absence was noticed, it made no real difference. James had been the last to accept Scorpius, and therefore the least trusting of the Slytherin. Either way, Rose, Albus, and Scorpius carried on through the year just the same, with or without James.

That year, Scorpius performed at the top of his Potions class, beating even Rose. She, however, sailed to the top when it came to Charms or Transfiguration. Albus' academics were nothing to brag about, but he became the second youngest to join the Quidditch team, the first spot still held by his father. Though Scorpius enjoyed Quidditch, and could often be found flying with Albus while Rose sat below reading or watching, he was not good enough to join the Slytherin team just yet.

That, however, wasn't something that bothered him. On the days he was too tired or too lazy, he sat lakeside with Rose while Albus practice overhead. Sometimes they sat in companionable silence, both reading or working on their studies. Other days they spoke or played games. Scorpius' upbringing had left him ignorant of the fun Muggles could have, but as Rose taught him card games, they quickly forgot Albus flying around them. Sometimes Albus would join them, but other times he would leave the two to get lost in their world. It seemed odd to him, for he vaguely could remember Scorpius saying the same thing about the two cousins, but even at twelve, Albus knew the relationship between Rose and Scorpius was nothing like his relationship with Rose.

Their third year was when the bigger chances had started to happen. James was fourteen, and rather interested in the opposite sex. Though his brother and cousin were also changing, he was the one who often disappeared with a girl, usually a Gryffindor, but after some advice from Scorpius, he managed to catch the eye of a Slytherin girl nearly every boy in the school eyed. His absence was hardly noticed this time as the three third years continued their friendship. It seemed James was far more interested in his fellow classmates than the three, but they didn't seem to mind.

Their third year had been the year Rose had beaten Scorpius at a Potions, but he had excelled at Charms to make up the difference. Albus found an interest in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but it came second to his Quidditch. Scorpius had made the Slytherin Quidditch team as well, and at every Slytherin game, Rose and Albus cheered for the Slytherin House, except for games against Gryffindor. The opposite held true for Scorpius. There was only one game between Gryffindor and Slytherin which Rose and Scorpius had missed.

Scorpius had fallen from his broom during a practice, and though the Healer had cleared him to play a week later, at the last minute he declared that he did not feel well after all. Though he liked to play, Albus loved the game in a way Scorpius never would. To Scorpius, risking his health for a silly game was ridiculous. As he sat in the, otherwise empty, Hospital Wing, he could vaguely hear the screams and yells from the Quidditch pitch, but his attention was interrupted when he heard footsteps entering the Hospital Wing. He strained in his bed to see around the corner, but moments later, Rose appeared at the foot of his bed, wearing her red Gryffindor colors.

"What are you doing here?" Scorpius questioned as Rose sat on his left.

"I didn't want to watch Albus destroy your backup seeker. I'd never hear the end of it." Rose answered and the two laughed. "So instead, I thought I'd come keep you company."

The smallest of smiles appeared across Scorpius' lips as he watched her dig into her pocket. When her hands came into view once more, he realized she'd brought a deck of muggle playing cards and had started to shuffle before he even responded.

"Thank you for coming." Scorpius said softly and Rose nodded softly as she started to deal.

"Of course. I didn't want you to get lonely here. Albus has more than half the school watching him." Rose answered as she peered up at Scorpius, his eyes staring intently into hers. Under the intense gaze, she turned away, forcing her eyes to focus on her cards.

Nearly two hours passed as Scorpius and Rose talked and played games. Over their laughter, they had not heard the distant cheers of the victorious Gryffindor team. By the time Albus had reached the Hospital Wing, to gloat the victory, more so than check on his best friend, Rose and Scorpius had fallen into a deep conversation in which nothing around them could remotely pull them back to reality. They had not even heard Albus' loud uneven footsteps as he walked into the Hospital Wing. As he reached Scorpius' bed, however, he paused, and for a moment he simply watched as he gauged whether or not to leave. For a moment, it had fallen quiet, but it seemed only Albus noticed. Scorpius and Rose stared directly at one another, Rose now seated on the edge of Scorpius' bed, her body turned to face him. When Scorpius reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind Rose's ear, Albus turned and left.

By fourteen, the three had taken Hogwarts by storm. Everyone knew who they were, and though they had made their share of enemies, they made mostly friends. All of this had been overshadowed by James' obvious distrust in Scorpius leading to him furthering himself from Rose and Albus, who stood by Scorpius despite the loss of friendship with James. Instead of James, Lily and Hugo joined the three more often, despite the age gap.

Lily had been placed in Ravenclaw, and often found herself wondering if the Hat had made the right choice. He was fourteen, and she was twelve at the time Scorpius assured young Lily Potter that allowing the Sorting Hat to choose her House was not as bad as she thought. As she peered up into his silvery eyes, she envied Rose for her close friendship with the charming Slytherin boy who seemed to understand the pressure of a family who had only ever been sorted into one House.

"What House did the Sorting Hat want you to be in?" Lily asked curiously, her bright blue eyes matching the silvery shine in Scorpius'. He laughed as he looked down at her as they walked through one of the many corridors of Hogwarts. It was a ritual they had started, for Scorpius had one free period while his many Gryffindor friends had classes. To pass the time he lounged in one of the courtyards. After a few weeks, he realized he sat in a place where Lily Potter could watch him from her second year Potions class. When the class ended, she joined him, and together they walked to the Great Hall for lunch.

"I can't tell you that." Scorpius laughed but Lily remained determined.

"Come on," She reached out and her small fingers wrapped around his wrist. With his growing body and her smaller frame, her fingers did not wrap completely around his wrist. "It'll be our little secret."

Scorpius narrowed his eyes at the young Ravenclaw. He knew Rose's secret. Rose was supposed to be in Ravenclaw too, and he had long suspected that Albus argued with the Sorting Hat about not joining the Slytherin House. He had never admitted it, but Scorpius had spoken to Albus for hours at a time, as many best friends would. He always noticed the way Albus' eyes flashed at the mere mention of the Slytherin House. It used to bother Scorpius, but he soon came to realize that he was in the Slytherin House in name only. His heart laid with his Gryffindor friends, save young Ravenclaw Lily, a little girl whom he always had a soft spot for from the moment he set his eyes on her red hair.

"Our little secret?" Scorpius repeated as he stepped towards her, his tall frame towering over the young girl.

"Yes." Lily breathed out, and Scorpius grinned as he looked around at their surroundings. They were already late to lunch, and so nobody was around to watch the exchange. He bent down to her ear, his lips nearly touching her flaming locks.

"The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Gryffindor."

When he pulled back, Lily was beaming up at him, her eyes wide and shining. He only laughed and shook his head as he turned and started to walk down the hall. Lily caught up to his side, but he hadn't seen the admiration in her eyes as she stared up at the young man who could be everything to her. As they entered the Great Hall, he sought out Rose's company, completely unaware of the girl beside him who'd just formed a crush on him.

Nothing was the same at fifteen. Though Lily had certainly grown up, her curves becoming slightly more apparent beneath her school robes, Rose had taken the majority of the spotlight. Her curves had become impossible to not to notice, and her hair had become far more manageable. Her expertise in Charms had seen to the end of her mess of busy red hair. Albus' shoulders were broad, and his years of Quidditch practice had started to show on the young man's body. Scorpius, though taller than Albus, was not as broad shouldered. He was lean and agile. When wearing their school robes, Albus appeared far more athletic and built than Scorpius, but Rose knew first hand Scorpius was not nearly as fragile as his pale skin made him appear. The three had spent the summer swimming in the lake near Albus' home, and every once in a while Lily and Hugo would join. James steered clear, even if it meant avoiding his own siblings.

Lily quietly excelled at nearly every subject. She had trouble with Potions, which Scorpius attributed to her constant staring out the window the year before. While the shy girl denied it vehemently, she blushed until her cheeks matched her hair. Scorpius grinned at her before he laughed and continued to walk with her until they reached the lake side where Albus and Rose were sitting. As they reached them, Scorpius' attention went to Rose, leaving Lily casted to the side until her brother asked her about boys.

She bitterly noted that the boy conversation was the only one during which Scorpius paid any attention to. It only made her blush even more as she forced herself to say she did not like a single boy.

"Well, that's good, but I meant have they come to you?" Albus asked and Rose rolled her eyes as she shook her head. Her straight red hair moved around her shoulders as she moved, her brown eyes staring at Scorpius.

"Albus, don't be so ridiculous. It's perfectly fine to have a little crush." Rose was speaking to her cousin, but her eyes never left Scorpius' intense gaze. She knew he hadn't meant for his piercing silver eyes to stare at her so intently, but it was something that happened more often than not. "She's thirteen. I trust you remember our third year."

Rose and Scorpius laughed at the same time but Albus remained solemn as he stared between them at Lily. She hadn't noticed, however, for her blue eyes were stuck on Scorpius. Then Albus' gaze saddened. He saw the cold storm coming, far before it was to hit.

Lily was his darling sister, and though he would never admit it, she was his favorite sibling, just as he was her favorite brother. He did not have the heart to tell her the romance between Scorpius and Rose had been impossible to stop. Over the many years they'd spent together, he'd watched it grow, and despite their abilities to attract the favor of those around them like magnets, they remained loyal and at each other's side. He, however, did not want to see his darling sister with anyone other than Scorpius Malfoy. At least he knew Scorpius inside and out. He knew for a fact Scorpius would never intentionally hurt Lily, despite his favor for Rose instead of her. With anybody else, Lily's heart would be on the line, and it was risk Albus was not willing to take. With just a few bumps in the road, the end of the school year came.

Sixteen was almost the same as fifteen, but it was far more intense in every aspect. Scorpius and Rose were inseparable, and for the first time Albus felt as though he did not belong. Hugo had made other friends, and though he and Lily remained close, Lily preferred to spend her time with Scorpius, Albus, and Rose. Only Albus could see why.

Christmas that year had been like nothing before. With Scorpius' friendship with Albus, Rose, and Lily, he was invited to spend Christmas with the Potter-Weasley extended clan. After a few letters home, explaining the invitation from a fellow pure-blood Slytherin to spend Christmas with him in the states, Scorpius made it to the Potter household. Only Rose knew the truth, but she only knew because he'd accidently given her the letter when he'd meant to return the Transfiguration essay she let him copy.

"Your parents have no idea, do they?" Rose asked, her voice soft, barely audible. Scorpius turned towards her, but not after he shoved her Christmas present beneath his pillow.

"What do you mean?" He asked as Rose shut the bedroom door and walked towards him. She sat on the bed before him, only a few feet between them.

"They have no idea that you're friends with us. That you basically spend all your time with Gryffindors."

"Lily is a Ravenclaw."

"That's not the point." Rose replied to his attempt at lightening the moment, but she had not smiled at all. "They don't know anything, do they?"

"What do you want me to say?" Scorpius responded with a heavy sigh. As she turned, a lock of hair fell from her messy bun, and he had wanted to push it back but he stopped at the look in her eye.

"Why do you not tell them?" Rose asked softly. "Because we're Gryffindors? Or because we're Weasleys and Potters?" They both knew there was also a third reason, but Scorpius did not dare say the words while Rose hoped with everything in her heart that the blood status third option was not applicable.

"They wouldn't…. approve."

"Why?" Rose repeated and Scorpius shut his eyes tightly as he turned his head away from her. "Scorpius," Rose whispered his name. He felt the bed dip as she moved closer to him. Then he felt her palm completely against his cheek, pushing his face towards hers. Ironically, his lack of answer had given her the answer she sought, but it wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. She was a half-blood. He was a pure-blood.

"So, I'll never be enough, then?"

Scorpius' eyes snapped opened, not just at her broke voice but at her words. He reached up, one hand on her cheek, the other on her waist. "You'll always be enough for me." He answered in a soft voice as a single tear rolled down Rose's cheek. He moved forwards slightly, until their foreheads touched. "Don't do this, Rose. Please."

"Eventually, one of us had to say it." She answered, her voice still broken from her unshed tears.

"No," Scorpius answered, his hand finding the back of her neck. His fingers twirled in her red locks, and her eyes slowly shut as she let her head fall back slightly. "Why can't we just… be like this?" Scorpius breathed and Rose slowly opened her eyes once more as she peered into his silver eyes.

"We're not anything, right now, Scorpius."

"Albus and I are not anything, Rose." He responded and a dry laugh escaped her lips. "I think it's safe to say we're slightly above nothing." He breathed as he moved his head, his lips barely brushing against her cheek.

"We're friends who don't see other people."

"Well, isn't that something?" Scorpius responded, his lips at her ear, his hot breath reaching her neck. In addition to not having a response, Rose could not speak at all. The feel of Scorpius' lips dangerously close to hers, and to her skin in general, was more than enough to separate her mind from reality. The feel of his hot breath only intensified the feeling. Slowly, the two moved, both unsure of what exactly to do, but both had vivid pictures in their minds of what they wanted to happen.

Knowing Rose would never be the one to initiate anything, Scorpius fought the nervousness in his stomach and pressed his lips to hers. For a moment, their lips simply touched but before another moment passed, their passion released. Rose wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she moved to his lap, their lips never parting, never wanting to taste another. Finally Rose pulled for breath and the two simply looked at one another.

Scorpius reached up to tuck the lock of hair falling down her face behind her ear, and she smiled as she bent down and pressed their lips together once more. "Happy Christmas, Scorpius." She whispered in his ear before she climbed out of his lap and off of the bed.

"Happy Christmas." He answered softly. She smiled at him once more before she turned and started to walk back towards the door. "Wait."

"Yes?"

"Are… Are you alright?" Scorpius stood up and Rose walked towards him once more. As she neared him, he stepped forward, one arm outstretched to wrap around her neck as he stepped closer again. She pressed the side of her head against his chest, and could hear his heartbeat, feel his chest as his rose and fell again. "With… with my parents?"

"I guess." Rose answered but Scorpius pulled back to look down at her, his eyes staring into hers. It was one of those rare moments he meant for his stare to be intense. "I'm never going to like it, Scorpius, so you might as well accept all you're going to get." Her response actually pulled the corners of his lips into a smile as he looked down at her.

"Alright." He agreed before he pressed his lips to her forehead. Just as the silence started to comfort them, the door opened, and Rose had quickly pulled away, but a sigh of relief passes her lips when Albus stared at the two with cautious narrowed eyes.

"We-"

"I don't want to know." Albus stopped Scorpius who laughed as he nodded. "We're ready to open gifts down stairs."

"We'll be down there." Rose said and Albus had started to leave the room but he turned back.

"Uh… You should know…" Albus looked to Scorpius, every intention of telling him about Lily, but the words would not leave his lips. "The family is a little weird."

"He already knew that," Rose laughed and Albus nodded softly, not even a hint of a smile on his lips to at least appear as though he was joking along with her. Without another word, he left the bedroom, Rose following behind. "Coming?" She turned to Scorpius.

"Just a minute." He called and she nodded before leaving the bedroom. Reaching under his pillow, where he had stashed Rose's gift. He quickly finished wrapping it before he stuffed it into his pocket and started to head downstairs.

Around the tree, several presents were piling up. Near the fireplace, Hugo and Lily sat, each with a cup of hot chocolate in their hands. Albus and Rose sat near the couch while James and his new girlfriend sat off to the side. Harry and Ginny Potter were on the couch behind their son Albus while Hermione and Ron Weasley sat near James and his company. As Scorpius reached the bottom of the stairs, he noticed nearly everyone in the room had peered up at him, but he eyed the empty space on the other side of Rose. Lily, on the other side of the room, had moved over, opening a space beside her, but it went unnoticed by all, except Albus.

"Who wants to open first?" Ginny asked as Scorpius sat beside Rose, his silver eyes attached to her brown ones. It was almost the exact same moment as what had happened almost a year ago at the lakeside. Scorpius and Rose were stuck together in their own world while Albus looked upon his younger sister. She, again, had not noticed at all. Instead, her blue eyes were on the head of blonde hair.

The presents were passed out, despite the lack of attention from the four. James was thrilled when his father passed on the invisibility cloak. Hugo received a new chess set, the pieces struck from gold and silver. Lily held a package in her arms but it took her a few moments to turn to it and finally start to peel the wrapping from the outside. Despite the hurt in her eyes, she was rather delighted to receive a beautiful necklace from her parents.

"I got this one for you, Lily." Scorpius called out, for the first time looking away from Rose. He reached into one of his pockets to pull out a small package, wrapped in brown paper, before he tossed it across the room. With a wide smile, she caught it out of the air, then narrowed her eyes at him before she turned to the package and started to unwrap it. Her lips fell open as she slowly pulled the silver bracelet from the package. It was a chain bracelet but had a flat portion where her name was inscribed, two sapphires set into the silver, one on each side of her name.

"It's beautiful." Lily looked up at Scorpius who shrugged.

"You needed something Ravenclaw."

"Oh shut up." Lily replied, as she tilted her head down to put the bracelet around her wrist. She hoped the hair falling around her face would cover her blushing, but Albus noticed again. Albus opened the gift from his parents first, pleased, but not surprised, to find a new broom in the largest box beneath the tree. From Scorpius, he'd received a state-of-the-art practice snitch which returned to him provided he said the correct incantation. From her parents Rose was given the collected works of her favorite author, and soon after, Lily was the first to stand.

"I hope everybody's hungry." Scorpius vaguely heard somebody call out as everyone moved to the next room, ready for dinner, but Scorpius and Rose remained seated side by side. They weren't sure of how much time passed, but eventually Scorpius reached into his pocket and held out her present.

"It looks like you dropped it from the Astronomy tower." Rose chuckled as she took the gift from his hand, their fingers brushing gently.

"You interrupted me when I was trying to wrap it." Scorpius defended himself, but Rose kept laughing until she looked down at the gift. "It's a necklace." Scorpius said uncomfortably after Rose remained quiet for longer than he liked.

"I know that." Rose answered as she set the brown packaging down, pulling the silver chain out. With one hand she held up the single red rose pendant hanging from the bottom. "It's beautiful, Scorpius."

"It made me think of you."

"Oh really?" Rose replied, a smile on her lips. It mirrored across his as he took the necklace from her hands and reached around her neck to put it on her. Again, they were lost in a world that belonged solely to them. Even with Hermione coming around the corner to find them, they remained perfectly still, Scorpius' arms still around her neck even after the necklace was clasped shut. Rose's hands were on his arms, their foreheads pressed together. "I love it."

"Good." He replied softly. Despite their audience, though they were not aware of it, Rose leaned forward until their lips touched in a soft gentle kiss. Scorpius' hands moved to the back of her neck and to her cheek as her arms wrapped around his neck. When they pulled apart, Scorpius' thumb ran along her cheekbone as he genuinely smiled at her. Unsure of how she would respond, but knowing he had to tell her, he parted his lips, his voice soft a quiet, but loud enough to carry through the room. "I love you."

For anyone else, it might've been an awkward dinner, but Scorpius always had a knack of handling himself with grace in any situation. Despite Hermione, Albus, and Lily hearing the words meant only for Rose, Scorpius carried himself as though nothing had happened, except Rose returning his feelings.

When they returned to Hogwarts, their relationship provided enough gossip to keep the entire school bussing for much longer than either had expected. To them, and to Albus, it seemed obvious and bound to happen, but from the outside, they were still a Malfoy and a Weasley. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor. Two separate entities that did not mix. To Albus, however, they were two sides of the same coin.

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**Their seventh year and after Hogwarts is posted in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

To Rose and Scorpius, seventeen was easy. To Albus it was fun, but part of him hurt alongside Lily. It had been his job, his duty, to protect his little sister from the pain, but she had picked somebody she could never have. There was nothing Albus could've done to save her from herself, but he took little comfort in that thought. As he watched Rose and Scorpius become lost in their world, Lily right beside them wishing it was her instead, he could not help but feel as though it was his fault. Had he known she wouldn't have grown out of the silly little crush, he might've intervened years ago, but now it was too late.

At fifteen, Lily was not as ignorant as a twelve year old child amazed by Scorpius Malfoy. As a Ravenclaw, she was far more rational. The look in her eyes changed, but not much. Albus knew she understood she never really stood a chance against Rose, but it was not because Rose was more beautiful, or because she was smarter. It was not because Rose was better than Lily. Albus and Scorpius knew Lily was just as a good as Rose, in every aspect, if not better, in her own way. The simple fact of the matter was that Rose had a two year head start on Lily. Rose had been there with Scorpius while Lily was at home with her parents and Hugo.

Despite coming to terms with losing Scorpius, Lily often visited the Head Dormitory shared by Rose and Scorpius in their seventh year. Albus, too, was often there, but Albus also enjoyed the company of many of his fellow female students. Though they'd spent the last several years together, it seemed they fell into a sort of pattern this year. Rose was often in the library, intent of getting the highest marks in every subject, even higher than Scorpius. Albus was either with some charming girl or practicing Quidditch. When he practiced, Scorpius practiced with him. When he charmed some girl, Scorpius went to the Library in search of Rose. Sometimes they studied, their hands intertwined beneath the table, other times he distracted her and between the dusty bookshelves, they shared stolen kisses. Lily, however, enjoyed the quiet serenity of the Head's Dormitory where she was free to read, study, or relax without interruption. Nights were different. At night the four were always in Rose and Scorpius' shared common room, laughing and talking as though nothing was out of place.

"It's going to be horrible." Lily said once, drawing the attention of Albus, Rose, and Scorpius, none of whom understood what she was talking about.

"Care to elaborate that one?" Scorpius laughed and Lily only stared at him, her eyes playfully narrowed.

"You guys are leaving me after this year." Lily finally said. The room fell silent as Albus looked to Scorpius. Only Rose looked to Lily, who was biting her bottom lip. Lily was not like most girls. Simply giving her kind words was not as effective. Lily was rational and levelheaded. Albus was quite fond of the trait since he knew it was what helped her cope with Scorpius choosing Rose, without ever realizing Lily was in the race as well.

"You'll cope," Rose said as Scorpius' hand found hers. Lily eyed their joined hands for a moment, before she forced her eyes up, only to find Scorpius' intense stare locked on her. "Besides, it's only two years, Lily. It'll go by faster than you think. Especially your sixth and seventh years. And after that we'll be together again."

"Not me." Albus laughed as he leaned back on the couch. "I'm going to play for some Quidditch team."

"You have to get invited first," Scorpius laughed, reminding him and Rose laughed while Lily smiled softly, her thoughts still lingering on Scorpius.

"Oh, don't you worry about that." Albus responded. "I practice every night."

"Night?" Lily questioned. "How, exactly?"

"Well, let's just say James doesn't keep track of his invisibility cloak as well as Dad might want him too." The four broke into laughter as Albus started to explain his use of the invisibility cloak to sneak out of the Gryffindor Tower at night with his broom to fly around the Quidditch pitch. Scorpius insisted it was cheating, considering the other three seekers, himself included, did not get so much extra time to practice. Albus only laughed replying that his sights were on pro Quidditch, not Hogwarts' small time Quidditch Cup.

Over the course of the year, Albus' training paid off. Not only did Gryffindor win the Quidditch Cup, losing only one game to Slytherin, he received many letters from several different Quidditch teams around the world offering tryouts and a chance to meet with the coach. At the same time, Rose's abilities caught the eye of the Ministry, who was currently in search of particularly talented individuals to help the training of future Aurors. The same opportunity was extended to Scorpius, for his skills in Potions and Charms, her talents residing in Transfiguration, Charms, and Ancient Runes.

As Rose and Albus became caught up in their prospects after Hogwarts, Scorpius remained rather calm, not wanting to rush what little was left of his time at Hogwarts. When Albus was off practicing his heart out, Rose was still in the library reading, though she branched out to the Restricted Section with the help of Albus' invisibility cloak. Scorpius, however, remained in the Common Room, where he often sat in companionable silence with Lily, who worked hard in all her subjects with welcomed help from Scorpius on her Potions.

"It's not still bothering you, is it?" Scorpius had asked, rather randomly, one day as he sat beside Lily at the table in the Common Room. She turned up to him, her eyes wide, mouth falling slightly open. "About us leaving." Scorpius said slowly, unsure of why she suddenly appeared so frightened.

"Oh," Lily blushed as she turned back to her books. She nervously fiddled with the bracelet on her left hand, the one Scorpius had given her, as she tried to think of something to say. "Well, no I guess not."

"It seems like something has been bothering you." Scorpius replied. "Did you talk to Albus about it?"

"What?" Lily turned to Scorpius, genuine surprise across her face.

"Well, I asked him and he became very… defensive and very adamant that nothing was bothering you. It was like you'd told him and he was denying knowing anything at all about it. It was like he knew."

"He doesn't." Lily said quickly and Scorpius rose an eyebrow at her.

"So something is wrong?"

"No." Lily turned away from him as he started to laugh.

"Is it a boy, Lily?" Scorpius asked still laughing at her behavior. "Because if it is, I don't blame you for not telling Albus, but he's your brother, and he knows you. He probably does know, and just doesn't want to have that conversation with his little sister."

"I'm not little." Lily groaned as she turned to Scorpius.

"I know you're not little. To Albus, you'll always be little, though. You're actually far more mature than Albus is," Scorpius laughed but Lily didn't even smile. "Come on, Lily, what's the matter?"

"I can't tell you." Lily finally said with a heavy sigh. "It would be weird."

"Well, I can't help you if you don't tell me." Scorpius responded, and Lily could only stare at him, in absolute amazement. She could not fathom how dense any boy could be. She could not even begin to wonder how anything started between him and Rose, considering how shut off from the obvious he could be.

"What do you think of me?" She finally asked, bracing herself for the close friend answer.

"You're like my little sister, Lily." So that was why he was so incredibly dense, she though bitterly, realizing there were far worse situations than the friend zone. Seeing the grim look across her face, Scorpius spoke slowly. "Is that the wrong answer?" He knew Rose, and he knew how girls often expected certain answers, be it the truth or otherwise. He also knew the answer they wanted was always a better option than the truth.

"No," Lily sighed as she shook her head. "But I'm not telling you, especially now."

"Why?"

"Because," Lily stared up at him. "I didn't tell Albus, and since I'm your little sister too, why would I tell you?"

"Alright," Scorpius sighed. "Lily, come on. You know you're not my little sister. You're just that weird extremely close friend who is a girl, who is not my girlfriend."

"Why is that weird?" Lily asked.

"Because most people don't think boys and girls can be friends." Scorpius answered. "I am not one of them, but I have been asked on several occasions if you were my second girlfriend."

Lily ignored the comment the best she could, for she knew exactly how that rumor started. As she drew in a deep breath, she turned to face him, his eyes creating that intense stare which very well might've been what sparked her childhood crush to begin with.

"If I tell you, you promise it won't change anything? And you won't tell Rose?" Lily asked, and Scorpius eyed her cautiously.

"Rose?" He repeated. "And Albus?"

"Well, you said he probably already knows, anyway." Lily replied and Scorpius nodded in agreement. "Just don't… don't tell anyone."

"Our little secret?" Scorpius laughed and Lily rolled her eyes, but laughed as well.

"I thought our little secret was that you were supposed to be in Gryffindor." Lily responded, and was met by narrowed eyes from Scorpius, who was surprised she remembered. When he did not respond, Lily parted her lips and tried to say the words, but she could not think of the right ones to say. Even if she could, however, she doubted they would even leave her mouth.

"Lily?"

"I sort of had this… stupid little girl crush on you." Lily finally said, her body tense as she braced herself for his response. Scorpius, however, said nothing. He only narrowed his eyes at her as he stared at her, his eyes more intense than before. "You can say something anytime now."

"When did it end?"

Lily cleared her throat as she turned away from him. That had not been what she was expecting. She had been expecting anything but that.

"Oh," Scorpius nodded as he leaned back from Lily slightly. He knew she wanted him to say something, but he could think of nothing. "Well… Lily you-"

"Don't." Lily turned to him, her eyes wide and hard like stones. "Don't. I already know. I'm not that stupid, Scorpius."

"Well, then…"

"Well, it's not that easy, now is it?" Lily responded, guessing what he was going to say next. He nodded in understanding as he leaned forward once more. "But yeah… that's what's been bothering me for about… well… three years and counting." Lily's voice was more lighthearted than he had expected but he knew in his heart of hearts, Lily was not an ordinary girl. She was a rational, levelheaded young woman, and the silly matters of the heart were not enough to pull her down.

"I always wondered why you never had dates." Scorpius finally said and Lily laughed as she turned towards her books.

"It's not like I never liked anybody else." Lily defended herself, but when she turned back to him, she paused at the sweet and understanding look across his face. He was not the mean and malicious boys she knew in her own year or even a year older than her. He wasn't teasing her or making fun of her. He was the sweet boy she wanted so bad for herself. "I just never… I don't know."

"I know what you mean, Lily." Scorpius said softly, as he looked into her saddened blue eyes. "Everybody has one person that they just… always liked no matter what."

"Who was yours?" Lily asked, but he averted his eyes, but the silence gave her the answer. "Rose." Lily said with a sigh as she turned back to her books. The silence continued until the door opened behind them, but neither turned to see who had entered. Albus' laughter had clearly identified him, but there was a female laugh mixed with his. Lily turned further away from Scorpius, expecting Rose to come towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck as they kissed in front of her.

"Guys, this is Kristen." Albus said and Lily finally looked up to see an attractive brunette, her arms around Albus' neck, both smiling and laughing, until Albus looked from Scorpius to Lily. Then his face dropped. He knew the heartbroken look in Lily's face and the guilt in Scorpius' face spoke volumes.

"You play on the Quidditch team for Ravenclaw." Scorpius broke the silence as Albus detangled himself from her arms and went to Lily.

"Yeah," She nodded, smiling, and obviously happy. Scorpius couldn't tell if she was simply a bubbly person or if it was Albus who made her shine the way she did. "I'm a Chaser, but next year, I'm hoping to play seeker."

"You're a sixth year?" Scorpius asked and she nodded as Albus took the seat on the other side of Lily.

"Stop it," Lily told him sharply as she batted his hand away. When Scorpius turned to them, Albus looked at him and for a moment they exchanged looks. Scorpius only shook his head before he turned back to Kristen. Albus drew in a breath before he turned his attention to Kristen as well, leaving Lily to attempt to focus on her studies.

From then, anytime Albus attempted to talk to Lily about Scorpius, she simply pushed him away. Scorpius refused to tell Albus anything about what was said between them, claiming it was their secret. Though Albus had good intentions, Scorpius had to convince him that Lily was not like any other girl. Had Rose known the secret the three shared, she might've crossed into the jealousy realm, even if for no good reason. That was the difference between Lily and Rose, and most men, including Scorpius and Albus, would agree the scales were tipped in Lily's favor for having such a trait. As levelheaded as she was, however, Lily knew the simple matter of what sparked her jealousy as opposed to Rose's was not a deciding factor when it came to the matters of Scorpius' heart.

Just as Albus thought he was getting closer to speaking to Lily about Scorpius, it seemed the conversation was rendered useless, for Lily had quickly been swept off her feet by the seeker who was to replace Albus after he finished Hogwarts. Though he opposed the boy, Scorpius welcomed him, a response Lily had expected but still found odd, all things considered. While Lily's relationship seemed to mirror perfect, Rose and Scorpius dealt with the hardships of a relationship. As they momentarily went separate ways, Albus stood on guard desperately hoping Lily's flame with the new seeker was hot enough to burn away thoughts of the newly single Scorpius.

His worries were found useless, for Lily remained at the seeker's side as though Rose and Scorpius were as perfect as they had ever been. Albus was unsure if it was because of the seeker, or if it was because she saw in them what he saw. Though they had their arguments and their petty fights, and Rose threatened to leave Scorpius while he threatened to date nearly every other girl in the school, Albus saw the empty words and hollow threats they uttered. Beneath it all, Scorpius and Rose were still two sides of the same coin.

Though they were not officially together at the end of their seventh year, Scorpius still attended the graduation party held for Rose and Albus at the Potter household. The entire Weasley family had been present, and everybody, except Rose, Albus, and Lily expected to watch Scorpius awkwardly move through the party unsure of anything around him, rendered nervous by the overwhelming amount of redheads. Just as his closest friends knew would happen, Scorpius smiled and charmed his way into the hearts of even the most stubborn Weasleys, or at least until they did not dislike him as much as they had in the beginning.

Towards the end of the party, most of the guests had left, leaving just Albus and Rose's immediate families, plus Lily's seeker. They had snuck away and were sitting around the corner of the house, his arms around her as their foreheads pressed together, not a single thought about anything other than themselves. At the same time, James and Albus were happily talking, their brotherhood newly restored, leaving Scorpius and Rose staring at one another from across the platform that had been set up in the back of the house for dancing or serving food.

Neither said anything, but it was unnecessary anyway. Rose was stubborn but Scorpius wasn't. He had been the one to stand and cross the platform, taking a seat beside her on the bench, his arm instinctively falling around her shoulders. She smiled up at him as she inched closer to him, until she rested her head on his shoulder. Just like the many moments they've shared before that, Scorpius bent down, his lips touching her forehead softly.

"I love you." Rose whispered softly, but Scorpius only smiled before catching her lips in his.

"I know."

Two years later, Lily had finished Hogwarts, her heart still intact as her closest friends had always known it would be. Though she no longer harbored romantic feelings towards Scorpius, he would always be the tragic first love in her memories. Unlike Rose and Scorpius, Albus and Lily were perfectly content to move from relationship to relationship, until the right person pulled them in. It wasn't much longer before Rose returned home, a diamond sitting upon her left ring finger, a smile across her face which nothing could remove. As Scorpius and Rose told her family, they received many good wishes, for Scorpius had long been accepted into the family by then.

As wedding preparations were made Scorpius neglected to tell his family of the union. Instead, he simply addressed one of the many formal wedding invitations and sent it by owl. He wasn't sure it had been the best approach, but it didn't matter much. His enthusiasm towards the wedding took most of his attention, time, and energy. He and Albus had to search for the perfect dress robes, according to Lily's standard, and she had to go to many dress fittings for her maid of honor dress. They planned for it to be family only, with just Albus and Lily as best man and maid of honor respectively.

Scorpius received two letters almost a month after he'd sent the invitation. For laughs, the four close friends sat around the lake near the Potter home, just as they had at Hogwarts, and opened the red envelope from his mother, listening to her rant and rave. More than once, Albus and Scorpius' laughs drowned out her shrills, but by the time she'd started referring to Rose as a half-blood, Scorpius had pulled his wand and sent the letter in flames to the center of the lake before it could even rip itself into pieces.

The second letter was a rather informal letter from his father explaining in much kinder words why he would be attending the ceremony, but not his mother. When Scorpius turned to Rose, she smiled at him sweetly before she kissed his cheek softly. She knew what it meant that at least his father would see him marry, even if it was to her.

As the bride, Rose was entitled to worry, perhaps more than she should, but Lily was quick to mend any problems that came. Hermione, however, had to be called into Rose's bedroom early that morning when Lily did not know what to say concerning Rose's worries about Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy sitting so close to one another during the ceremony. Hermione only smiled as she reached out to cup her daughter's cheek, assuring her everything would be perfect. She understood that while Rose wanted everything to be perfect, in the end nothing truly mattered. At the end of the day, it would be a perfect wedding if she and Scorpius were husband and wife.

"Draco has already arrived, darling." Hermione told her gently. "Your father is downstairs with him right now, and they are perfect civil. He is not the same man your father likes to think he is. He said he would come, didn't he? And he did not oppose the marriage in any way."

"Alright." Rose said with a sigh before she eyed the brown package in Hermione's arms. "What's that?"

"He brought this for you." Hermione answered as she held out the package. "He said that if you did not want to wear it for the ceremony, it was perfectly understandable, but that he still wanted to offer it to you because they had been worn by every Malfoy bride for generations." Hermione explained as Rose started to peel open the package. She paused for a moment as she looked down at the emerald studded hair clips, before she looked up at Lily, then her mother.

"They match your dress." Hermione said.

"And your hair," Lily added and Rose let out a laugh as she nodded and handed them to Lily.

"I'll wear them."

"Alright." Hermione nodded before she put a kiss on Rose's forehead. "You best be getting ready soon, girls. The boys started dressing an hour ago." She explained as she stopped in the doorframe and looked back at the black expressions across their faces.

"We both had high marks in Charms, Mum." Rose laughed and Lily laughed as well. "Albus tried to charm a cup into an animal, and it only made it through half way."

Hermione laughed as she shook her head. "You're father did the same thing." She told them before she left the bedroom. Within the next few hours, everything had fallen into place, the simple white arch set up near the lakeside near the Potter home. The chairs were white and quickly filled with mostly red heads, a few with black hair, and the sole blonde man seated in the front row, smiling fondly upon his only son. The two had embraced for a long moment before Draco put his hand on Scorpius' cheek and wished him a happy marriage.

With a nod from Hermione, Scorpius stepped back to his place, and Draco took his seat before Albus and Lily came down the center aisle, her red hair pulled up elegantly, her emerald green dress offsetting her hair perfectly. Albus' hair was just as messy as always, because neither Scorpius nor Albus could stop it from tangling and falling the way it had for years. Deciding to stop while they were ahead, they left it the way it was when he woke up and simply hoped it would not be noticed by either Lily or Rose. Lily had noticed, however, but assured them Rose would not care.

Any thoughts concerning things other than Rose, however, were lost when she appeared the end of the aisle, her arm on her father's. They slowly walked down the aisle, her simple dress brushing the grass as she walked. The deep emerald green of the ribbon tied around her waist matched the green of Lily's dress, and the emerald clips in her hair.

"Where did you get those?" Scorpius whispered in her ear as one hand started to reach up to her hair, but she stopped him and intertwined their fingers.

"You're father." She answered simply before they faced forward, and the ceremony started, but neither remembered much before they started down the aisle, hand in hand, as husband and wife.

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